Laverne Johnson’s family will be eating well today. And don’t worry about dessert: Her sister will be bringing her highly rated chocolate cake. Like many Thanksgiving shoppers interviewed this week, Johnson said she wasn’t trimming back on her menu, despite the contracting economy. It’s a holiday, after all.

Echoing a common theme, though, she hunted a bit more ferociously for bargains this year.

These birds have longer legs and narrower breasts than the beachball-shaped turkey that will end up on many Thanksgiving Day tables. What they lack in heft, however, these heritage birds make up for in flavor, proponents say.

They also make it up in price: a 20-pound certified organic turkey from Ayrshire Farm costs $180.